OBJECTIVES To investigate the progression of joint damage in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the wrist and determine whether this technique can be used to predict prognosis. METHODS An inception cohort of 42 early patients has been followed up prospectively for one year. Gadolinium enhanced MRI scans of the dominant wrist were obtained at baseline and...

The role of glucocorticoids released in response to stress in the pathogenesis of stress-induced gastric erosions has been reevaluated. Gastric erosions elicited in male rats by 3-h cold-restraint or water-restraint stresses were studied after acute reduction of corticosterone release or occupation of glucocorticoid receptors by the antagonist RU-38486 during stress. Stress-induced corticostero...

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the ability of conventional radiography to detect bone erosions of different sizes in metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the standard reference. A 0.2 T Esaote dedicated extremity MRI unit was used to obtain axial and coronal T1-weighted gradient echo images of the dominant 2nd...

We read with interest the pictorial essay on ultrasonography of bone erosions by Grassi and colleagues. The presented site-specific comparison of radiographic and sonographic imaging of metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint sites in rheumatoid subjects suggests strongly a homology of the erosive lesions, as visualised by these diVerent imaging modalities. A recently publ...

ptk (phototherapeutic keratectomy) is the use of laser in corneal diseases. we can replace ptk for many other invasive procedures. the objective of this study is the assessment of this procedure in several cases in our practice. this investigation was a retrospective study, which was conducted based on comparison of 11 eyes with corneal eschars, induced by recurrent corneal erosions, pterygium ...

BACKGROUND Although it is well known that aspirin causes gastroduodenal mucosal injury and that aspirin-induced gastroduodenal mucosal injury is often asymptomatic, the prevalence and independent factors for gastroduodenal mucosal injury have not been clarified in asymptomatic patients taking low-dose aspirin and gastroprotective agents. AIM To clarify the prevalence and independent factors f...